Ko Chun
Ko Chun (高進/賭神) is the main protagonist of the main God of Gamblers and From Vegas to Macau series. He is played by Chow Yun-fat. History God of Gamblers Ko Chun is a world-famous gambler, so renowned and talented at winning various games of chance that he is referred to as the "God of Gamblers". He keeps his identity secret from the public (and avoids taking photos so his face is not recognised), but is known for three characteristics: his slick-backed hairstyle, his love of Feodora brand chocolate and his jade pinky ring. Ko Chun arrives in Tokyo, accompanied by his girlfriend Janet and his assistant and cousin Ko Yee, for a match with Tanaka, the country's top ranked gambler. After convincingly defeating Tanaka in games of Mahjong and dice, Tanaka concedes defeat and asserts that Ko Chun "really is God". Tanaka asks Chun to help him take revenge on Chan Kam-Sing, a famous Singaporean gambler who cheated Tanaka's father (driving him to suicide), by besting Chan in a high-stakes poker match. Ko Chun agrees, merely asking for a box of chocolate as payment. In gratitude, Tanaka sends his bodyguard, former Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces Operative Dragon to accompany Ko Chun for protection. Meanwhile, Little Knife (Andy Lau), an avid but mediocre gambler who idolises the God of Gamblers, sets a trap for an Indian neighbour as a practical joke. After a confrontation on a train between Ko Chun, Dragon, and henchmen sent by one of Ko Chun's rivals, Ko happens to accidentally stumble into Knife's trap. Ko falls down a hill, hitting his head, and subsequently suffers from amnesia and regresses to a childlike state. Knife, not knowing who the unnamed stranger is, takes him in and names him "Chocolate" due to the man's seemingly obsessive love for the candy. Initially Knife is impatient with "Chocolate"'s simple-minded innocence and yells at him often, but soon recognises that "Chocolate" has innate gambling talent and begins to exploit his abilities in local poker games and gambling dens. As time passes, Knife comes to care for "Chocolate" and seeks to find a way to restore his memory. Back at Ko Chun's mansion, it is revealed that Janet has been searching for Chun for ten days to no avail. Ko Yee, who is jealous of Chun's success and wealth, makes advances on her, which she rejects; finally, while attempting to rape her, Yee accidentally knocks Janet off the balcony, killing her. He discovers that she has been recording what has been transpiring and proceeds to burn the tape. Later, Yee allies himself with Chan Kam-Sing and Ko Chun's other rival and they send assassins to find and kill Chun. Eventually, the assassins find Chun, Knife, and their friends and attempt to kill them, but Dragon arrives to protect them after tracking Chun down. A fierce shootout ensues in a shopping center, in which Knife saves Chun from an attempt on his life by Ko Yee. During the fight, Dragon is wounded, causing Chun to snap out of his child persona briefly to kill the rest of the assailants. However, after regressing back to his childlike state, Chun becomes horrified at the carnage and runs out into the street where he is struck by a vehicle. Chun awakens in the hospital with his regular persona, but no memory of the events or people he met after the fight. He is informed by Ko Yee, who is feigning loyalty, that Janet has disappeared. Knife arrives and attempts to warn Chun of Ko Yee's treachery but Yee has Knife thrown out. Later, Ko Yee gives Chan Kam-Sing special eyeglasses that will allow him to cheat during his upcoming poker match with Chun by reading invisible markings on the cards. Chun, Yee, Tanaka and Dragon arrive on Chan Kam-Sing's yacht for the climactic game of five card stud. Knife, having sneaked onto the boat, again attempts to warn Chun of the danger he is in. Chun agrees to hear Knife out later but admonishes him not to interfere with the poker game. With his ability to see the markings on the cards, Chan Kam-Sing dominates the first two rounds. After losing all of Tanaka's money, Ko Chun puts up his entire personal portfolio of wealth and holdings against Chan's wealth. Chan, using his glasses to see that Ko Chun has an inferior hand, agrees, showing his cards and gloating over his victory. Ko Chun, in turn, reveals that he actually has the superior hand and has won the game, having secretly altered the markings of the deck and using special contact lenses to read them. Subsequently, Ko Chun tricks Chan Kam-Sing into shooting Ko Yee. As Yee lays dying, Chun drops Janet's tape (which actually never finished burning) onto his body. Ko Chun then departs (as police arrive to take Chan into custody for murder) without speaking to Knife, much to the latter's dismay. Ko Chun later surprises Knife at his home and reveals that he remembered Knife in the hospital and knew about Ko Yee's betrayal all along, but had to feign ignorance to execute his plan properly. He promises to make it up to Knife by taking him to Las Vegas as his gambling partner. God of Gambler's Returns Five years have passed since the events of the first God of Gamblers film. Ko Chun is now living a peaceful retirement on his French estate with his pregnant wife Wan Yau, while his disciples Knife and Sing (from the All For The Winner series) have become world-renowned in their own right. Chun declines repeated challenges from other top-ranked gamblers, having given up gambling in favor of the quiet life. Chun's friend and former bodyguard, Dragon, the "God Of Guns", comes to pay him a visit. While the two are away from the house for a friendly shooting competition, Chau Siu-Chee, a Taiwanese gambler and the world's number one contender to Ko Chun's title, arrives and murders his wife and unborn son in order to goad Chun into a gambling match. After a shootout with Chau Siu-Chee's henchmen, Ko Chun arrives to discover his wife dying. With her last breath, she asks Chun to promise that he will not gamble or admit his real identity for one year, in the hopes that he will not lose his life in an impulsive act of revenge. Chun agrees as she dies in his arms. Nevertheless, he proclaims that he will avenge her after his promise is fulfilled. Chun travels the world for eleven months anonymously. In the twelfth month, he arrives in mainland China and gets into a series of comic misadventures with a small-time hustler named Little Trumpet, a police captain, and Hoi Tong, a crime boss's daughter. Hoi Tong also has a score to settle with Chau Siu-Chee after he sent assassins to murder her father. Chun also becomes close with Little Trumpet's sister Yiu Yiu, who idolizes the God of Gamblers (but is unaware of Chun's true identity). With three days before his promise ends, Ko Chun and his group arrive in Taiwan to confront Chau Siu-Chee. Still bound to his word to keep his identity secret, Chun proclaims that he is Little Knife, the disciple of the God of Gamblers, and that his master will arrive in three days for a match with Chau to determine the true champion. The group retires to Hoi Tong's family compound to plan for the upcoming match. Later, Chau Siu-Chee meets with Cheung Po-Sing, reputed to be the only person to have ever beaten Ko Chun in a poker match (by physically changing Chun's hole card using supernatural powers). Chau is initially skeptical but after a demonstration of Cheung's powers Chau is convinced and enlists his help. Chan Kam-Sing, Ko Chun's opponent from the first film, arrives at Hoi Tong's home to warn Chun that Chau Siu-Chee is insane, so obsessed with gambling that he made Chan bet his hands in a match and subsequently had them amputated when he lost. Chau Siu-Chee's men then storm the compound to kill Ko Chun and the group, but Dragon arrives to save them. In the ensuing firefight, Chan and Yiu Yiu are killed, with Chun promising to avenge them. With his promise fulfilled, Ko Chun, Dragon, and the rest of the group head to Chau Siu-Chee's casino for the final showdown. As the five card stud game proceeds, Ko Chun gains an early advantage, but ends up losing several rounds due to Cheung Po-Sing's interference. In desperation, he puts up his entire wealth and holdings and his eyes for one final deciding round. Chau agrees to match the bet and shows his straight flush, gloating that he has Ko Chun beaten, but Chun reveals his hand - a higher-ranked straight flush, indicating that he has won the game. Chun reveals that "Cheung Po-Sing" is a magician and a good friend of his, that all the instances of card changing were simply sleight of hand tricks, and that the rumors that Cheung had beaten the God of Gamblers were started by none other than Ko Chun himself, a year ago. Ko Chun then demands that Chau make payment in full, including his eyes. Enraged, Chau removes a concealed pistol and attempts to kill Ko Chun, but is in turn killed by Chun, finally avenging his wife, Yiu Yiu, and all the other people Chau had hurt. As the crowd cheers and applauds, Ko Chun and Dragon prepare to depart. Ko Chun notices Dragon is crying and remarks that he didn't think Dragon was capable of shedding tears. Dragon quips, "I was really afraid that you were going to lose all of my money." Ko Chun waves to the crowd one last time as the film ends.